Steps on Holy Ground: My first (10,926) steps.

Yesterday we woke up bright and early and ate a delicious breakfast in the Oasis. I love the food here – some of it is similar to American food but with a slight Arabic twist, and other dishes are completely different. All of it is good though! Good good good!

After breakfast we divided up into small groups and left the Center on a quick orientation to East Jerusalem, the Old City, and West Jerusalem. We walked for about 2 miles, as I calculated with my handy dandy pedometer! Oh my goodness I am in love with this place! We weren't allowed to bring camera's on this walk because they wanted to go pretty quickly and hit all of the sites just to get us oriented. I can't wait to go exploring on my own though (Well, in groups of three of course!) and to just be able to go my own pace, take pictures, talk to people, buy things, and enjoy every bit. The city is so interesting. It was amazing to walk through the streets and feel a sense of the lifestyle here. East and West Jeru are completely different from each other. West Jerusalem is far more westernized (haha) than East Jerusalem. There are sky scrapers and malls and a bank of America and it just feels a lot more like home, safe. But, I loved walking through the gates and entering the Old City in East Jerusalem! It is beautiful there. The streets are made of huge stones, some of them have even been brought up from the Roman period. It really is a "recycled" city. A lot of the stones used in the surrounding walls have been preserved from the time of Herod, and they are easy to point out. There is so much history here! We went to a Hospice and climbed up to its rooftop to overlook the city. It was amazing to see the distinguished four quarters in the city; Jewish, Muslim, Armenian, and Christian. Each quarter is so different, and so beautiful. It is amazing that all different peoples and cultures and religions and backgrounds live together within the walls of this city. It is a special thing to see how they interact. Scattered throughout the city are various mosques, synagogues, chapels, and places of worship. I love the Old City : )